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OXFORD 

Bttgfit Caps* 



COLLECTION OF RECEIPTS 

FOR MAKING 

VARIOUS BEVERAGES 

USED IN 

THE UNIVERSITY. 



Quid non ebrietas designat ? Operta recludit, 
Spes jubet esse ratas, in proelia tniditinertem, 
Sollicitis animis onus eximit, addocet artes. 
Foecundi calices quern non fecere disertum ? 
Contracta quern non in pauper tate solutum ? 

Hor. lib. i. ep. 5. 

What cannot wine perform ? It brings to light 
The secret soul; it bids the coward fight ; 
Gives being to our hopes, and from our hearts 
Drives the dull sorrow and inspires new arts, 
Whom hath not an inspiring bumper taught 
A flow of words and loftiness of thought ! 
Even in th' oppressive grasp of poverty 
It can enlarge, and bid the wretch be free. 

Francis. 



FOURTH EDITION, ENLARGED. 



OXFORD, 
HENRY SLATTER, 2 & 3, HIGH STREET, 
MDCCCXLVII. 



If 4to 



lEimwir at ^tatt'oners' Wt%\l 



'.OS, 



BAXTER; PRINTER, OXFORD* 





CONTENTS. 



Page 

Bishop, or Spiced Wine 1 

Lawn Sleeves 4 

Cardinal . 4 

Pope 4 

Cider Bishop 5 

Oxford Mull 5 

Negus 5 

White Wine Negus 6 

Cold White Wine Negus 7 

Port Wine Negus 7 

Sherry Cobbler 8 

Julap, or Julep 10 

Oxford Punch, or Classical Sherbet ... 11 

Noyeau Punch 15 

Spiced Punch 15 

Tea Punch 16 

Gin Punch 16 

Red Punch 16 

Punch Royal 17 

Milk Punch 17 

Oxford Milk Punch . 18 

Norfolk Milk Punch 18 

Restorative Punch, vulgo Storative . . . 19 

Lemon Punch to keep 20 

Almond Punch "21 



IV 



Page 

Egg Punch 22 

Shrub Punch 23 

Champagne Punch . 23 

Punch a la Romaine 23 

Inn-keepers' Punch 24 

Lemonade 24 

Orangeade 24 

Sir Fleetwood Fletcher's Sack Posset . . 25 

White Wine Whey, or Milk Posset ... 26 

Pepper Posset 27 

Cider Posset 27 

Perry Posset 28 

Rum Booze, or Egg Posset 28 

Beer Flip 29 

Rumfustian 30 

The Oxford Grace Cup . 30 

Cider Cup, or Cold Tankard 33 

Perry Cup 37 

Beer Cup 37 

Red Cup 37 

The Wassail Bowl, or Swig 37 

Brown Betty 40 

Lambs Wool 41 

Brasenose Ale , . 43 

Metheglin 49 

Vinous Metheglin 51 

Mead aud BraggOD, or Bragget 52 



OXFORD 
NIGHT CAPS. 



BISHOP, OR SPICED WINE. 

Three cups of this a prudent man may take ; 
The first of these for constitution's sake, 
The second to the girl he loves the best, 
The third and last to lull him to his rest. 

Ancient Fragment. 

Bishop seems to be one of the oldest winter 
beverages known, and to this day is preferred to 
every other, not only by the youthful votary 
of Bacchus at his evening's revelry, but also by 
the grave Don by way of a Night Cap ; and 
probably derives its name from the circumstance 
of ancient dignitaries of the Church, when they 
honoured the University with a visit, being 
regaled with spiced wine. It appears from a 
work published some years since, and entitled, 

B 



2 



Oxoniana, or Anecdotes of the University of 
Oxford, that in the Rolls or Accounts of some 
Colleges of ancient foundation, a sum of money 
is frequently met with charged "pro speciebus/' 
that is, for spices used in their entertainments y 
for in those days as well as the present, spiced 
wine was a very fashionable beverage. In the 
Computus of Maxtoke Priory, anno 1447, is the 
following curious entry ; " Item pio vino cretico 
cum speciebus et confectis datis diversis gene- 
rosis in die Sancti Dionysii quando he fole 
domini Montfordes erat hie, et faceret jocosi- 
tates suas in camera Orioli." " Vinum creticum" 
is supposed to be raisin wine, or wine made of 
dried grapes; and the meaning of the whole 
seems to be this : Paid for raisin wine with 
comfits and spices, when Sir S. Montford's fool 
was here, and exhibited his merriments in the 
Oriel chamber. 

Recipe. 

Make several incisions, in the rind of a lemon, 
stick cloves in the incisions, and roast the lemon 



3 



by a slow fire. Put small but equal quantities 
of cinnamon, doves, mace and all-spice, into a 
saucepan, with half a pint of water ; let it boil 
until it is reduced one half. Boil one bottle of 
port wine ; burn a portion of the spirit out of 
it, by applying a lighted paper to the saucepan. 
Put the roasted lemon and spice into the wine ; 
stir it up well, and let it stand near the fire ten 
minutes. Rub a few knobs of sugar on the rind 
of a lemon, put the sugar into a bowl or jug, 
with the juice of half a lemon, (not roasted,) 
pour the wine into it, giate some nutmeg into 
it, sweeten it to your taste, and serve it up with 
the lemon and spice floating in it. 

Oranges, although not used in Bishop at 
Oxford, are, as will appear by the following lines, 
written by Swift, sometimes introduced into that 
beverage. 

Fine oranges 
Well roasted, with sugar and wine in a cup, 
They'll make a sweet Bishop when gentlefolks sup. 



4 



LAWN SLEEVES, CARDINAL, 
AND POPE, 

Owe their origin to some Brasenose Baccha- 
nalians, and differ only from Bishop as the 
species from the genus. 

LAWN SLEEVES. 

Substitute madeira or sherry for port wine, 
and add three glasses of hot calves-feet jelly, 

CARDINAL. 

Substitute claret for port wine ; in other 
respects the same as Bishop. 

POPE. 

Precisely the same as Bishop, with the excep- 
tion of champagne being used instead of port 
wine. 



5 



CIDER BISHOP. 

Omit the wine, and add one bottle of good 
cider, a quarter of a pint of brandy, and two 
glasses of calves- feet jelly in a liquid state. 



OXFORD MULL. 

Boil a small quantity of cinnamon, cloves, and 
mace in half a pint of water ; pour into it one 
bottle of port wine, and when it is nearly boiling, 
add two lemons thinly sliced. Sweeten it to 
taste, and it is fit for use. 



NEGUS. 

Negus is a modern beverage, and, according 
to Malone, derives its name from its inventor, 
Colonel Negus. Dr. Willich, in his " Lectures 
on Diet and Regimen," says, that Negus is one 
of the most innocent and wholesome species of 



• 



6 

drink ; especially if Seville oranges be added to 
red port wine, instead of lemons ; and drunk 
moderately, it possesses considerable virtues in 
strengthening the stomach ; but, on account of 
the volatile and heating oil in the orange peel, 
Negus, if taken in great quantities, is more 
stimulant and drying than pure wine. 

m 

WHITE WINE NEGUS. 

Extract the juice from the peeling of one 
lemon, by tubbing loaf sugar on it ; or cut the 
peeling of a lemon extremely thin, and pound 
it in a mortar. Cut two lemons into thin slices ; 
four glasses of calves-feet jelly in a liquid state ; 
small quantities of cinnamon, mace, cloves, and 
all-spice. Put the whole into a jug, pour one 
quart of boiling water upon it, cover the jug 
close, let it stand a quarter of an hour, and 
then add one bottle of boiling hot white 
wine. Grate half a nutmeg into it, stir it 
well together, sweeten it to your taste, and it 
is fit for use. 



Seville oranges are not generally used at 
Oxford in making Negus ; when they are, one 
orange is allowed to each bottle of wine. 

COLD WHITE WINE NEGUS. 

To make cold white wine Negus, let the 
mixture stand until it is quite cold, and then 
pour a bottle of white wine into it. 

It is sometimes in the summer season placed 
in a tub of ice ; when that is done it will be 
necessary to make the Negus somewhat sweeter, 
as extreme cold detracts from the sweetness of 
liquors. 

PORT WINE NEGUS. 

In making port wine Negus, merely omit the 
jelly ; for when port wine comes in contact with 
ealves-feet jelly, it immediately assumes a dis- 
agreeable muddy appearance, 

Negus is not confined to any particular sorts 
of wine ; if the jelly is omitted, it can be made 
with any, or several sorts mixed together. 



8 



SHERRY COBBLER. 

Sherry Cobbler has only been recently intro- 
duced into the University, and has become a 
great favourite among the Undergraduates. It 
unfortunately happened, that on its first introduc- 
tion, ice was procured from the Confectioners and 
Fishmongers which had been taken from stag- 
nant ponds and noisome ditches ; consequently 
those who partook of it imbibed the filthy im- 
purities which it contained. Subsequently the 
lemon, grape, strawberry, and other pure and 
wholesome water ices of the Confectioners, have 
been substituted a . 

Recipe. 

Pound a small quantity of ice quite fine, by 
wrapping it in a coarse cloth, and beating it with 
a mallet or rolling pin. Half fill a large 
tumbler with this powdered ice. Add a teaspoon- 
full and a half of pounded sugar, two or three 

a This liquor, drawn into the mouth through a straw, 
has in more than one instance produced Vertigo. 



9 



pieces of the outer rind of a lemon, and a wine 
glass and a half of sherry. (Throw in half a 
dozen strawberries, if in season.) Fill up with 
pounded ice. Mix by pouring rapidly from one 
tumbler to another several times. Drink through 
a straw. 

This fashionable compound was published by 
a party of speculating gentlemen, who have 
denominated themselves " the Wenham Lake 
Ice Company." And it appears, that the 
Company imports an immense quantity of 
ice from Wenham lake in America, which is 
transmitted to any part of the united king- 
dom by American refrigerators or portable 
ice houses, and sold through the agencies of 
Tradesmen residing at Liverpool, Birmingham, 
Manchester, Dublin, Hastings, Richmond, and 
Blackheath. 



10 



JULAP, OR JULEP. 

Behold this cordial Julap here, 
That flames and dances in his crystal bounds, 
With spirits of balm and fragrant syrups mixt. 

Milton. 

Julap b is a refreshing arid wholesome drink, 
used much by country housewives. John 
Quincy, the author of a dictionary of Physic, 
describes it as an extemporaneous form of medi- 
cine, made of simple and compound water sweet- 
ened, and serves for a vehicle to other forms riot 
so convenient to take alone. 

The usual mode of making it in the vicinage 
of Oxford is, by sweetening an infusion of mint 
with honey, and mixing a glass of wine or spirits 
with it. 

The following is the Mint Julep of the Wen- 
ham Lake Company. 

Mingle ice and sugar as described in the 
Recipe for Sherry Cobbler. Add a wine glass 

b Julap is a Persian word, signifying a sweet potion. 
c Died in 1723. 



11 



of brandy, half a wine glass of old rum, and two 
or three sprigs of mint. Stir the whole well 
Together, and drink it through a straw a . 



OXFORD PUNCH, OR CLASSICAL 
SHERBET. 

When e'en a bowl of punch we make, 

Four striking opposites we take ; 

The strong, the small, the sharp, the sweet, 

Together mix'd, most kindly meet ; 

And when thej happily unite, 

The bowl is pregnant with delight. 

The liquor called Punch has become so truly 
English, it is often supposed to be indigenous 
to this country, though its name at least is 
oriental. The Persian punj, or Sanscrit pancha, 
i. e. five e , is the etymon of its title, and denotes 
the number of ingredients of which it is com- 

d The straws used are generally obtained from Bonnet 
makers, and are about eight inches long. 
e See Fryer's Travels. 



12 



posed. Addison's foxhunter, who testified so 
much surprise when he found, that of the ma- 
terials of which this "truly English" beverage 
was made, only the water belonged to England, 
would have been more astonished had his in- 
formant also told him, that it derived even its 
name from the East. 

Various opinions are entertained respecting 
this compound drink. Some authors praise it 
as a cooling and refreshing beverage, when 
drank in moderation ; others condemn the use 
of it, as prejudicial to the brain and nervous 
system. Dr. Cheyne, a celebrated Scotch phy- 
sician, author of "An Essay on Long Life and 
Health," and who by a system of diet and regi- 
men reduced himself from the enormous weight 
of thirty-two stone to nearly one third, which 
enabled him to live to the age of seventy-two, 
insists, that there is but one wholesome ingre- 
dient in it, and that is the water. Dr. Willich, 
on the contrary, aserts, that if a proper quan- 
tity of acid be used in making Punch, it is 
an excellent antiseptic, and well calculated to 



13 



supply the place of wine in resisting putrefaction, 
especially if drank cold with plenty of sugar ; it 
also promotes perspiration : but if drank hot and 
immoderately, it creates acidity in the stomach, 
weakens the nerves, and gives rise to complaints 
of the breast. He further states, that after a 
heavy meal it is improper, as it may check 
digestion, and injure the stomach f . 

Rennie states, that he once heard a facetious 
Physician at a public hospital prescribe for a 
poor fellow sinking under the atrophy of starv- 
ation, a bowl of Rum Punch. Mr. Wadd 
gives us a prescription — " Rum, aqua dulci 
miscetur acetum, et fiet ex tali foedere nobile 
Punch." He also states, that Toddy, or Punch 
without acid, when made for a day or two before 
it is used, is a good and cheap substitute for 
wine as a tonic, in convalescence from typhus 
fever, &c. 

f Fielding mentions a Clergyman who preferred 
Punch to Wine for this orthodox reason, that the former 
was a liquor no where spoken against in Scripture. 



14 



Recipe. 

Extract the juice from the rind of three 
lemons, by rubbing loaf sugar on them. The 
peeling of two Seville oranges and two lemons, 
cut extremely thin. The juice of four Seville 
oranges and ten lemons* Six glasses of calves- 
feet jelly in a liquid state, The above to be 
put into a jug, and stirred well together. Pour 
two quarts of boiling water on the mixture, cover 
the jug closely, and place it near the fire for a 
quarter of an hour. Then strain the liquid 
through a sieve into a punch bowl or jug, 
sweeten it with a bottle of capillaire, and add half 
a pint of white wine, a pint of French brandy, a 
pint of Jamaica rum, and a bottle of orange 
shrub; the mixture to be stirred as the spirits 
are poured in. If not sufficiently sweet, add 
loaf sugar gradually in small quantities, or a 
spoonful or two of capillaire. To be served up 
either hot or cold s . The Oxford Punch, when 

s Ignorant servants and waiters sometimes put oxalic 
acid into Punch to give it a flavour ; such a practice 
cannot be too severely censured. 



15 



made with half the quantity of spirituous liquor^ 
and placed in an ice tub for a short time, is a 
pleasant summer beverage. 

In making this Punch, limes are sometimes 
used instead of lemons, but they are by no 
means so wholesome h . 

NOYEAU PUNCH. 

Mix three wine glasses of Noyeau with ihe 
Oxford Punch. 

Noyeau is dangerous, when drank in any quan- 
tity, as it contains hydrocyanic acid; there- 
fore more than the quantity specified ought not 
to be used. 

SPICED PUNCH. 

Boil a small quantity of each sort of spice 
in half a pint of water, until it is reduced one 
half; add it to the ingredients which compose 
the Oxford Punch, and grate a whole nutmeg 

h Arbuthnot, in his work on aliments, says, " the 
West India dry gripes are occasioned by lime juice in 
Punch." 



16 



into it. Spiced Punch, if bottled off as soon 
as it is cold, with the spice in it, will keep good 
several days. 

TEA PUNCH. 

Green tea is the basis of this Punch ; and 
although Tea Punch is seldom made in Oxford, 
it nevertheless has been much esteemed by 
those who have partaken of it. It is invariably 
drank hot. It is made precisely in the same 
way as the Oxford Punch, excepting that the 
jelly is omitted, and green tea supplies the place 
of water. 

GIN PUNCH. 

The same as Oxford Punch, only omit the 
rum, brandy, and shrub, and substitute two 
bottles of gin, 

RED PUNCH. 

Substitute port wine for while, and red cur- 
rant jelly for calves-feet jelly ; in other respects 
the same as Oxford Punch. If drank in the 



17 



summer, let it stand until it is cold, and then 
put it into a bucket of ice. Care must be taken 
that the ice water does not get into the jug 
which contains this Punch. 

PUNCH ROYAL. 

Extract the juice from the peeling of a 
lemon, by rubbing loaf sugar on it. Pour one 
pint of boiling water on it. Add the juice of six 
lemons, one pint of rum, and a pint of port 
wine. Sweeten it to your taste, and it is fit for 
use. 

MILK PUNCH. 

Warm two quarts of water and one of new 
milk, then mix them well together, and sweeten 
it with a sufficient quantity of loaf sugar. Rub 
a few knobs of loaf sugar on the peeling of a 
lemon ; put them into a jug with the above, 
and pour into it gradually half a pint of lemon 
juice, stirring the mixture as it is poured in. 
Then add one quart of white brandy. Strain 
it through a flannel bag or a fine hair sieve, 
c 



18 



Bottle it off, and if placed in a cool cellar it 
will keep ten days or a fortnight. Jellies are 
sometimes used in making this Punch, hut they 
are not necessary, as the milk will sufficiently 
temper the acrimony of the lemon juice. 

OXFORD MILK PUNCH. 

Dissolve two pounds and a half of double 
refined sugar in one gallon of cold spring 
water ; add to it a quarter of a pint of orange- 
flower water, the juice of twenty limes and 
eight pot oranges. Stir it well together; pour 
one quart of boiling milk into it, and then add 
three quarts of white brandy and three quarts 
of orange brandy shrub ; strain it through a 
flannel bag or fine hair sieve. Take out what 
is wanted for present use, and bottle off the re- 
mainder. 

NORFOLK MILK PUNCH. 

Cut the peeling of six Seville oranges and 
six lemons extremely thin. Pound it in a 
stone mortar. Add thereto a pint of brandy, 



19 



smd let it remain abont six hours ; then squeeze 
the juice of six Seville oranges and eight 
lemons into it. Stir it well, and pour into it 
three more pints of brandy, three pints of rum, 
and three quarts of water. Make two quarts 
of skimmed milk boiling hot; grate a nutmeg 
into it ; mix it gradually with the other ingre- 
dients; add a sufficient quantity of fine loaf 
sugar to sweeten it, (about two pounds.) Stir 
it till the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture 
stand twelve hours, then strain it through a 
flannel bag till it is quite clear. It is then fit 
for use. It has been said, that if this Punch is 
bottled off and well corked, it will keep in any 
climate, and for any length of time. 

The bottles it is put into must be perfectly 
dry, 

RESTORATIVE PUNCH, vuigo 
STORATIVE. 

Extract the juice from the peeling of one 
Seville orange and one lemon ; the juice of six 
Seville oranges and six lemons, six glasses of 



20 



calves-feet jelly in a liquid state, a sufficient 
quantity of loaf sugar, (about half a pound ;) 
put the whole into a jug, pour on it one quart 
of boiling water; add four glasses of brandy, 
stir it well together, and it is fit for use e . 

LEMON PUNCH TO KEEP. 

Cut the rind off six lemons if large, eight if 
small, squeeze out the juice, put the rind and 
the juice together, and add one quart of white 
brandy. Let it remain closely covered for 
three or four days. 

Let the juice of six or eight additional 
lemons be squeezed into two quarts of water, 
put into it a sufficient quantity of double re- 
fined sugar to sweeten the whole. Boil it well, 
and when quite cold, pour into it a bottle of 
sherry or madeira. Then mix it well with the 

e Many of the first statesmen of the present day 
(should they see this) will recognise it as the liquor in- 
variably drank by them at College before they attended 
their debating parties. 



21 



lemon and brandy, and, if sufficiently sweet 
strain it through a flannel bag into a small 
cask. At the expiration of three months bottle 
it off, and, if the bottles are well corked and 
kept in a cool place, it will be fit to drink in a 
month. 



ALMOND PUNCH. 

Extract the juice from the peeling of one 
lemon and one Seville orange by rubbing loaf 
sugar on them. The juice of six lemons and one 
Seville orange, one bottle of capillaire, and a 
quarter of a pound of loaf sugar. Put the 
whole into a jug, and when well mixed, pour 
upon it three pints of boiling water. Cover 
the jug close, and keep it near the fire a 
quarter of an hour. Then add three ounces of 
sweet and half an ounce of bitter almonds, 
blanched, and pounded fine in a mortar, and 
gradually mixed with a bottle of white brandy. 
Stir it well, and if sufficiently sweet it may be 
used immediately. 



22 



EGG PUNCH. 

One quart of cold water, the juice of six 
lemons and six pot oranges, four glasses of 
calves-feet jelly in a liquid state; stir the 
whole well together ; let it remain covered over 
for half an hour ; then strain it through a hair 
sieve, and add to it one hottle of capillaire y 
two glasses of sherry, half a pint of brandy, 
and one bottle of orange shrub. Put some 
pulverised sugar and ten fresh -laid hens' eggs 
into a bowl, beat them well together, and 
gradually unite the two mixtures by keeping 
the eggs well stirred as it is poured in ; then 
whip it with a whisk until a fine froth rises, 
and if sweet enough it is fit for immediate 
use. 

This Punch should be drank as soon as it is 
made, for if kept any length of time it will turn 
sour. 

Omit the wine and spirits, and freeze the 
remainder, and a mould of ice may be obtained, 
equal to any in use. 



23 



SHRUB PUNCH. 

To make the above into Shrub Punch of a 
superior flavour and quality to that hi general 
use, merely leave out the eggs. 

CHAMPAGNE PUNCH. 

Pare two lemons very thin, and steep the 
peeling in one pint of rum, (or grate some 
lemon peel on a lump of sugar, and as the 
surface becomes yellow scrape it into the rum ;) 
add a wine glass of sherry, half a pint of 
brandy, the juice of four lemons, a small quan- 
tity of syrup of capillaire, one quart of boiling 
water, sweeten it sufficiently with pounded 
sugar, and when those are assembled who 
intend to partake of it, pour into it a bottle 
of champagne. 

PUNCH A LA ROMAINE. 

Make one pint and a half of lemonade, 
beat to a froth the whites of four eggs, stir to 
this two ounces of pounded sugar, add half a 



24 



quartern of rum, and the same quantity of 
brandy, with four glasses of green gooseberry 
or white currant wine. 

This Punch is usually iced. 

INN KEEPERS' PUNCH. 

Dissolve about seven ounces of lump sugar 
in one pint of boiling water, add forty grains 
of citric acid, seven or eight drops of essence 
of lemon, and (when well mixed) half a pint 
of rum, a quarter of a pint of brandy, and a 
glass of sherry. 

LEMONADE. 

To convert Egg Punch into delicious Le- 
monade, leave out the wine, spirits, and oranges, 
and add the juice of four more lemons and a 
proportionate quantity of sugar. 

ORANGEADE. 

The mixture may also be made into Orange- 
ade by omitting the wine, spirits, and lemons, 
and squeezing into it the juice of twelve oranges 



25 



in addition to those mentioned in the recipe 
for Egg Punch. 



POSSET. 

From fam'd Barbadoes, on the western main, 
Fetch sugar, ounces four ; fetch sack from Spain 
A pint ; and from the Eastern Indian coast 
Nutmeg, the glory of our northern toast; 
O'er flaming coals let them together heat, 
Till the all-conquering sack dissolve the sweet ; 
O'er such another fire put eggs just ten, 
New-born from tread of cock and rump of hen ; 
Stir them with steady hand and conscience pricking, 
To see th' untimely end of ten fine chicken : 
From shining shelf take down the brazen skellet, 
A quart of milk from gentle cow will fill it ; 
When boil'd and cold, put milk and sack to eggs, 
Unite them firmly like the triple league, 
And on the fire let them together dwell 
Till miss sing twice — you must not kiss and tell: 
Each lad and lass take up a silver spoon, 
And fall on fiercely like a starv'd dragoon. 

Sir Fleetwood Fletcher's Sack Posset. 



26 



Posset, it seems, is a medicated drink of 
some antiquity ; for among the numerous Eng- 
lish authors who in some way or other speak 
of it, our immortal Bard Shakspeare has made 
one of his characters say, " We'll have a Posset 
at the latter end of a sea coal fire." And Sir 
John Suckling, who died in 1641, says in one 
of his poems, " In came the bridemaids with 
the Posset." Dr. Johnson describes Posset to 
be milk curdled with wine and other acids ; 
we may therefore with propriety infer, that the 
White Wine Whey so common in Oxford is 
the Milk Posset of our forefathers. 



WHITE WINE WHEY, OR MILK 
POSSET. 

Put one pint of milk into a saucepan, and 
when it boils pour into it one gill of white 
wine ; boil it till the curd becomes hard, then 
strain it through a fine sieve ; rub a few knobs 
of loaf sugar on the rind of a lemon, put them 
into the Whey ; grate a small quantity of 



27 



nutmeg into it ; sweeten it to your taste, and it 
is fit for use. 

PEPPER POSSET. 

The more to promote perspiration, whole 
pepper is sometimes boiled in the Whey, but 
all-spice is far preferable. 

A Pepper Posset was known to the learned 
and ingenious John Dryden, as will appear by 
the following lines written by him ; 

A sparing diet did her health assure ; 
Or sick, a pepper posset was her cure 0 

CIDER POSSET. 

Pound the peeling of a lemon in a mortar, 
pour on it one quart of fresh drawn cider ; 
sweeten it with double-refined sugar, add one 
gill of brandy, and one quart of milk from the 
cow, stir it well together, strain it through a fine 
hair sieve or a flannel bag, then grate a nutmeg 
into it, and it is fit for use. 



28 



PERRY POSSET 

is prepared in the same way, excepting that 
perry is used instead of cider. 

There are other Possets, which have milk 
for their basis, in use in different parts of the 
country, such, for instance, as Treacle Beer and 
Orange Posset ; hut as they are seldom if ever 
made in Oxford, it is not necessary that any 
thing further should he said of them. 

The following have an affinity to, and 
possibly derived their origin from, Sir Fleet- 
wood Fletcher's Sack Posset. 

RUM BOOZE, OR EGG POSSET f . 

The yolks of eight eggs well beaten up, with 
some refined sugar pulverised, and a grated 
nutmeg; extract the juice from the rind of a 
lemon by rubbing loaf sugar on it; put the 
sugar, a piece of cinnamon, and bottle of white 

f it is sometimes denominated Egg Flip. 



29 



wine, into a clean saucepan ; when the wine 
boils take it off the fire ; pour one glass of cold 
white wine into it, put it into a spouted jug, and 
pour it gradually among the yolks of eggs, &c* 
keeping them well stirred with a spoon as the 
wine is poured in ; if not sweet enough, add a 
small quantity of loaf sugar; then pour the 
mixture as swift as possible from one vessel to 
the other until a fine white froth is obtained. 
Half a pint of rum is sometimes added, but it 
is then very intoxicating. Port wine is some- 
times substituted for white, but is not considered 
so palatable. This liquor should be drank when 
quite hot. If the wine is poured boiling hot 
among the eggs, the mixture will become 
curdled. 

BEER FLIP. 

Beer Flip is made the same way and with 
the same materials as the preceding, excepting 
that one quart of strong home-brewed beer is 
substituted for the wine ; a glass of gin is 
sometimes added, but it is better without it. 



30 



This beverage is generally given to servants 
at Christmas, and other high festivals of our 
Church. 

RUMFUSTIAN. 

The yolks of twelve eggs, one quart of 
strong beer, one bottle of while wine, half a 
pint of gin, a grated nutmeg, the juice from 
the peeling of a lemon, a small quantity of 
cinnamon, and sufficient sugar to sweeten it ; 
prepared precisely in the same way as Rum 
Booze. 

Such is the intoxicating property of this 
liquor, that none but hard drinkers will venture 
to regale themselves with it a second time. 



THE OXFORD GRACE CUP. 

The grace cup servM, the cloth away, 
Jove thought it time to shew his play. 

Prior* 

The ancient Grace Cup was a vessel pro- 
portioned to the number of the company 



31 



assembled , which went round the table, the 
guests drinking out of the same cup one after 
another. Virgil describes something like it, 
when, speaking of the entertainment Queen 
Dido gave to iEneas, he says, 

Postquam prima quies epulis, mensseque remotge ; 
Crateras magnos statuunt, et vina coronant. 
********** 

Hie regina gravem gemmis auroque poposcit 
Implevitque mero pateram : * * * * 
***** ***** 

Primaque ? libato, summo terms attigit ore. 
Turn Bitise dedit increpitans ; ille impiger hausit 
Spumantem pateram, et pleno se proluit auro. 
Post alii proceres. 

It has been the custom from time imme- 
morial, at the civic feasts in Oxford, for the 
Grace Cup to be introduced before the removal 
of the cloth, when the Mayor receives the Cup 
standing; his right and left hand guests also 
rise from their seats while he gives a toast, 
which since the Reformation has been, " Church 
and King." The Cup is then handed round 



32 



the table, no one presuming to apply his lips to 
it until two persons have risen from their seats. 
The origin of this custom is ascribed by our 
antiquaries to the practice of the Danes hereto- 
fore in England, who frequently used to stab or 
cut the throats of the natives while they were 
drinking, the persons standing being sureties 
that the one holding the cup should come to 
no harm while partaking of it. 

Recipe. 

Extract the juice from the peeling of a 
lemon, and cut the remainder into thin slices ; 
put it into a jug or bowl, and pour on it three 
half pints of strong home-brewed beer g and a 

s Home-brewed beer is here recommended, as some 
common brewers and publicans mix with their beer 
sulphuric acid, copperas, tobacco, capsicum, cocculus 
Indicus, coriander seeds, grains of paradise, allum, and 
burnt sugar. 

It is a well-known fact, that at this period there 
are wandering from town to town persons who call 
themselves 66 Brewers' Druggists," who offer for sale 



33 



bottle of mountain wine ; grate a nutmeg into 
it ; sweeten it to your taste ; stir it till the sugar 
is dissolved, and then add three or four slices of 
bread toasted brown. Let it stand two hours, 
and then strain it off into the Grace Cup. 

CIDER CUP, OR COLD TANKARD. 

Cold Tankard has for a very long period been 
a favourite summer drink not only within the 
walls of the Colleges, but also at Taverns situated 
near the banks of the river, and which are much 

a composition which in a short time will make weak 
beer strong, even to intoxication. 

Coculus Indicus, the pulp of Coculus suberosvs. 
Imported from the East Indies in considerable quan- 
tities, for the purpose, it is said, of giving beer and 
spirits an intoxicating quality at less expense than by 
genuine materials. The use of it is prohibited by law. 
Rennie's Pharm. 

Grains of Paradise. In the slang of brewers' druggists 
termed G. P. The seeds of the Amomum grana Pa- 
radisi. They are seldom used in medicine, but are ex- 
tensively employed to conceal adulterations by giving 
false strength to spirits, wine, beer, and vinegar. Ibid. 
I) 



34 



resorted to by the junior members of the 
University who are fond of aquatic excursions. 
Many are the sonnets and songs which have 
been made upon the fair waiting women who 
almost invariably prepare this cooling and whole- 
some beverage. The following specimen, written 
some years since, probably will not prove unac- 
ceptable to the reader. 

Say — lives far or near a damsel so fair. 
So cheerful, so blithe, or so merry ? 

On earth I can't find 

A nymph half so kind 
As Doris, the Maid of the Ferry. 

My rivals may boast, and coxcombs may toast 
Her in old port, madeira, or sherry ; 

To them I can prove, 

They'll ne'er gain the love 
Of Doris, the Maid of the Ferry. 

She looks up the oars, and the old tavern scores, 
And now and then cleans out a wherry ; 

The sails she can mend, 

And the parlour attend, 
For obliging's the Maid of the Ferry. 



35 



She serves at the bar, and excels all by far 
In making Cold Tankard of perry; 
How sweet then at eve, 
With her leave to receive 
A kiss from the Maid of the Ferry. 

Both early and late, her apparel is neat. 
Yet for fin'ry she cares not a berry ; 

She's comely and gay s 

And now I'll away 
To Doris, the Maid of the Ferry. 



Recipe. 

Extract the juice from the peeling of one 
lemon, by rubbing loaf sugar on it; cut two 
lemons into thin slices ; the rind of one lemon 
cut thin, a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar, 
and half a pint of brandy. Put the whole into 
a large jug, mix it well together, and pour one 
quart of cold spring water upon it. Grate a 
nutmeg into it, add one pint of white wine and 
a bottle of cider, sweeten it to your taste with 
capillaire or sugar, put a handful of balm and 



36 



the same quantity of borage d in flower {borago 
officinalis) into it, stalk downwards. Then 
put the jug containing this liquor into a tub of 
ice, and when it has remained there one hour 
it is fit for use. The balm and borage should 
be fresh gathered. 

d " The sprigs of borage in wine are of known virtue, 
to revive the hypochondriac, and cheer the hard stu- 
dent." Evelyn's Acetaria, p. 13. u Borage is one of 
the four cordial flowers 5 it comforts the heart, cheers 
melancholy, and revives the fainting spirits." Salmon's 
Household Companion^ London, 1710. " Borage has 
the credit of being a great cordial ; throwing it into 
cold wine is better than all the medicinal preparations." 
Sir John Hill, M.D. 

u The leaves, flowers, and seed of borage, all or any 
of them, are good to expel pensiveness and melancholy." 
The English Physician, 

" Balm is very good to help digestion and open ob- 
structions of the brain, and hath so much purging 
quality in it, as to expel those melancholy vapours from 
the spirits and blood which are in the heart and arteries, 
although it cannot do so in other parts of the body.'* 
Ibid. 



37 



PERRY CUP. 
Merely substitute perry for cider. 

BEER CUP. 

One quart of strong beer instead of cider or 
perry. The other ingredients the same as in 
Cider Cup. 

RED CUP. 

Use one pint of port wine instead of white ; 
sometimes two glasses of red currant jelly are 
added. In other respects the same as Cider 
Cup, excepting that warm water is used to 
dissolve the jelly. 



THE WASSAIL BOWL, OR SWIG. 

" Sir, quod he, Watsayll, for never days of your lyf 
ne drouk ye of such a cuppe." Ancient MS. 

The W^assail Bowl, or Swig, as it is termed 
at Jesus College in this University, is of con- 
siderable antiquity, and up to this time is a 



38 



great favourite with the sons of Cambria; so 
much so, indeed, that a party seldom dines or 
sups in that College without its forming a part 
of their entertainment e . On the festival of St. 
David, Cambria's tutelary Saint, an immense 
silver gilt bowl, containing ten gallons, and 
which was presented to Jesus College by Sir 
Watkin W. Wynne in 1732, is filled with Swig, 
and handed round to those who are invited on 
that occasion to sit at their festive and hos- 
pitable board. The following is the method of 
manufacturing it at that College. 

Recipe. 

Put into a bowl half a pound of Lisbon sugar; 
pour on it one pint of warm beer ; grate a 
nutmeg and some ginger into it: add four 
glasses of sherry and five additional pints of 
beer ; stir it well ; sweeten it to your taste : 
let it stand covered up two or three hours, then 
put three or four slices of bread cut thin and 

e Swig was formerly almost exclusively confined to 
Jesus College ; it is now, however, a great favourite 
throughout the University. 



39 



toasted brown into it, and it is fit for use. 
Sometimes a couple or three slices of lemon, 
and a few lumps of loaf sugar rubbed on the 
peeling of a lemon, are introduced. 

Bottle this mixture, and in a few days it 
may be drank in a state of effervescence. 

The Wassail Bowl, or Wassail Cup, was 
formerly prepared in nearly the same way as 
at present, excepting that roasted apples, or 
crab apples, were introduced instead of toasted 
bread. And up to the present period, in some 
parts of the kingdom, there are persons who 
keep up the ancient custom of regaling their 
friends and neighbours on Christmas-eve and 
Twelfth-eve with a Wassail Bowl, with roasted 
apples floating in it, and which is generally 
ushered in with great ceremony. Shakspeare 
alludes to the Wassail Bowl when he says, in 
lis Midsummer Night's Dream, 

Sometimes lurk I in a gossip's bowl, 

In very likeness of a roasted crab, 

And when she drinks, against her lips 1 boh, 

And on her withered dewlap pour the ale. 



40 



BROWN BETTY. 

Brown Betty does not differ materially from 
the preceding ; it is said to have derived its 
name from one of the fair sex, ycleped a 
bedmaker, who invariably recommended the 
mixture so named as a never -failing panacea. 

Recipe, 

Dissolve a quarter of a pound of brown sugar 
in one pint of water, slice a lemon into it, let it 
stand a quarter of an hour, then add a small 
quantity of pulverized cloves and cinnamon, 
half a pint of brandy, and one quart of good 
strong ale ; stir it well together, put a couple of 
slices of toasted bread into it, grate some nutmeg 
and ginger on the toast, and it is fit for use- 
Ice it well and it will prove a good summer,, 
warm it and it will become a pleasant winter r 
beverage. It is drank chiefly at dinner. 



41 



LAMBS WOOL, 

Kext crowne the bowle full 
With gentle Lambs wooll, 

Adde sugar, nutmeg, and ginger, 
With store of ale too, 
And thus ye must doe 

To make the Wassaile a swinger. 

Herrick' 's Twelfth Night, or King and Queen, 



Lambs Wool is merely a variety of the 
Wassail Bowl, and although not common in 
Oxford, is a great favourite in some parts of 
England. The following is the origin of the 
term Lambs Wool, as applied to this particular 
beverage. Formerly the first day of November 
was dedicated to the Angel presiding over fruits, 
seeds, &c. and was therefore named La mas 
ubal, that is, The day of the apple fruit, and 
being pronounced lamasool, our country people 
have corrupted it to Lambs Wool f . 

f See Col. Valiancy, Collect, de Reb. Hibern. iii. 441. 



42 



Lambs Wool was anciently often met with in 
Ireland g , but is now rarely heard of in that 
country, having been entirely superseded by the 
more intoxicating liquor called Whiskey. 

Recipe, 

Mix the pulp of half a dozen roasted apples 
with some raw sugar, a grated nutmeg, and a 
small quantity of ginger. Add one quart of 
strong ale made moderately warm. Stir the 
whole well together, and, if sweet enough, it -is 
fit for use. 

This mixture is sometimes served up 'in a 
bowl, with sweet cakes floating in it. 



g Brand's Popul. Antiq. i. 321. 



43 



BRASENOSE ALE. 

Hie dies, anno redeunte festus, 
Corticem astrictum pice dimovebit 
Amphorae. 

Horat. lib. iii. od. 8. 

When the year 
Revolving bids this festal morn appear, 
• We'll pierce a cask with mellow juice replete. 

Francis. 

From the foundation of Brasenose College 
to the present time a custom has prevailed, 
of introducing into the refectory on Shrove 
Tuesday, immediately after dinner, what is 
denominated Brasenose Ale, but which in fact 
is a species of Lambs Wool. 

Verses in praise of Brasenose Ale are an- 
nually written by one of the Undergraduates, 
and a copy of them sent to every resident 
member of the College. 

The following Stanzas are extracted from a 
copy of recent date. 



44 



Shall all our singing now be o'er. 

Since Christmas carols fail? 
No ! let us shout one stanza more 

In praise of Brasenose Ale ! 

A fig for Horace and his juice, 

J'alernian and Massic ; 
Far better drink can we produce, 

Though 'tis not quite so Classic 

Not all the liquors Rome e'er had 

Can beat our matchless Beer ; 
Apicius' self had gone stark mad, 

To taste such noble cheer. 

Brasenose Verses are not always confined to 
the mere praise of the Beer, for sometimes a 
particular circumstance or event which may 
have happened during the past year is alluded 
to, as will be seen by the following lines. 

See where yon goblet beaming 

Invites the wistful eye ! 
Whose smile luxuriant gleaming 

Proclaims a fragrance nigh ! 



Lof c. 



45 



While gladsome spirits thronging round 

To taste its richness press; 
And fair the scene, and loud the sound 

Of mirth and happiness ! 

Bright antidote of sorrow ! 

Some kind enlivening ray 
From thee we fain would borrow. 

To warm our grateful lay : 
For oft I ween thy kindling glance 

The drooping heart hath cheered : 
Poured round the soul a joyous trance, 

And visions gay upreared. 

Full many a day of gladness 

Hath hailed the welcome cheer ; 
Full many a thought of sadness 

Hath fled, transported, here. 
A nd still, through years of fleeting change, 

Each passing youthful train, 
Ere it might tempt the wide world's range, 

Hath passed the cup to drain. 

The sky that glows above us 
Remains unchanged the same : 

But will the friends that love us 
Preserve a changeless flame ? 



46 



Forgetfulness, that chilling spell, 
Can freeze the ardent breast; 

And those we thought had loved us well? 
"Will scorn us when distressed. 

While warm affection glowing 

Bids mean suspicion fly, 
Our youthful hearts bestowing 

On most that hover nigh— 
When outward promise seems sincere? 

And lasting all our joy- 
Yet cherished hope, and feelings dear. 

Unkindness may destroy. 

The word of coldness spoken 

Inflicts a bitter smart : 
The tie of friendship broken 

Torments the aching heart : 
But sadder far the hopeless pain ? 

When death's remorseless hand 
Hath all untimely snapped in twain 

Affection's golden band. 

But, though our friends forget us, 
Let one kind thought restore 

Their names, who once have met us, 
But ne'er shall meet us more. 



47 



And if, perchance, by memory's light; 

Departed friends we view, 
Oh ! let that memory still be bright^ 

And may our hearts be true ! 

When last the cup was flowing, 

One sat within our Hall, 
Whose eye with kindness glowing 

Inspired the festival b . 
But now that bright and honoured head 

Rests in the darkling tomb ; 
And ours it is to mourn the dead 

In unavailing gloom. 

Forgive the Muse, if, erring. 

He drop a plaintful word : 
If, thoughts of sorrow stirring, 

He strike too harsh a chord. 
He would not mar the festive scene, 

Nor give a wanton pain : 
And, though her strains have saddening been* 

She bids you smile again. 



h This passage alludes to the demise of an Under 
graduate, who at the preceding meeting had, by his wit 
and humour, contributed much to the hilarity of his 
fellow-students. 



48 



In banquet-hall 'tis meetest 

To raise the echoing laugh : 
In jocund hour 'tis sweetest 

The bowl's deep flood to quaff. 
Aye ! let your mirth be loud and long ! 

Let voice and heart be free ! 
And 'midst the din of shout and song 

Let all feast merrily ! 

Go forth, my sons, to glory ! 

Gro climb the steeps of fame ! 
Go ! and in future story 

Enrol your shining name ! 
May no dark cloud obscure your sky ; 

No fear your soul dismay : 
Nor keener sorrow dim your eye 

Than claims the tear to-day ! 



Recipe. 

Three quarts of ale, sweetened with refined 
sugar finely pulverized, and served up in a 
bowl with six roasted apples floating in it. 



49 



METHEGLIN. 

Non Vitis, sed Apis succum tibi mitto bibendum, 
Quern legimus Bardos olim potasse Britannos. 
Qualibet in bacca Vitis Megera latescit, 
Qualibet in gutta Mellis Aglaia nitet. 

The juice of Bees, not Bacchus, here behold, 
Which British Bards were wont to quaff of old ; 
The berries of the grape with Furies swell, 
But in the honeycomb the Graces dwell. 

Howell. 

Metheglin is probably derived from the 
Welch Meodyglyn*, a medical drink, and was 
once the natural beverage of a great part of this 
country, and according to some authors is the 
HydromeP of the ancients. Howell c , in one 

a Meddyglyn. Minshew. 

b In fevers, the aliments prescribed by Hippocrates 
were ptisans and cream of barley, hydromel, that is ? 
honey and water, where there was no tendency to de- 
lirium. Arbuthnot. 

c James Howell, Clerk of the Privy Council in 1640, 
and sometime Fellow of Jesus College in this University. 
D 



50 



of his familiar letters, on presenting a friend 
with a bottle of Metheglin, thus speaks of it; 
" Neither Sir John Barleycorn or Bacchus had 
" any thing to do with it, hut it is the pure 
" juice of the bee, the laborious bee, and the 
" king of insects ; the Druids and old British 
" Bards were wont to take a carouse hereof 
" before they entered into their speculations. 
" But this drink always carries a kind of state 
" with it, for it must be attended with a brown 
" toast ; nor will it admit but of one good 
" draught, and that in the morning ; if more, 
" it will keep a humming in the head, and so 
" speak too much of the house it comes from, 
" I mean, the hive." 

Indeed almost every other author who has 
written on the subject affirms, that before the 
introduction of Agriculture into this island, 
honey diluted with water (i. e. Metheglin) was 
the only strong drink known to, and was a 
grpat favourite among, the Ancient Britons. 

Metheglin is usually divided into the Simple 
and the Vinous. Simple Metheglin is that 



51 



which has not been fermented, and the Vinous 
is that which has obtained a spirit by fer- 
mentation. 

VINOUS METHEGLJN. 

Take as much new honey separated from 
the comb which, when well mixed with water, 
will be of such a consistency as to bear an egg ; 
boil this liquor for one hour; let it stand 
covered up till the next morning, and, if it is 
then quite cold, put it into a cask. To every 
fifteen gallons add pulverized ginger, mace, 
cinnamon, and cloves, of each an ounce. To 
promote fermentation, put into the bunghole 
two table-spoonsful of yeast. When it has done 
working stop it up, and in a month or six weeks 
it will be in a fit state to be drawn off into 
bottles. 

Or put twenty-eight pounds of honey into a 
nine gallon cask with as much boiling water as 
will fill it, and fermenting it with yeast. Or boil 
the honey with the water, to which a little hops or 
ginger may be added, ferment and bottle for use. 



52 



MEAD AND BRAGGON, OR 
BRAGGET, 

Do not differ materially from Metheglin ; they 
are indeed varieties of the same. Howell says, 
" they differ in strength according to the three 
" degrees of comparison, Metheglin being strong 
" in the superlative, and if taken immoderately 
st doth stupify more than any other liquor." 

The following are the methods of preparing 
them. 

Mix the whites of six eggs with twelve 
gallons of spring water; add twenty pounds of 
the best virgin honey and the peeling of three 
lemons ; boil it an hour, and then put into it 
some rosemary g , cloves, mace, and ginger ; 
when it is quite cold, add a spoonful or two of 
yeast, tun it, and when it has done working, 
stop it up close, In a few months bottle it off, 
and deposit it in a cellar of cool temperature. 

R The best honey known is that of Narbonne in 
France, where rosemary abounds, it having a very 
strong flavour of that plant, 



53 



Some prefer it without the spices, others 
without lemons. 

To each gallon of water add four pounds of 
the whitest, purest, and best tasted honey, and 
the peeling of two lemons ; boil it half an hour. 
Scum it when cold. Put it into a cask, add 
some yeast to it ; when it has done fermenting, 
stop the cask up close, and at the expiration of 
eight months bottle it off. 

If this liquor is properly kept, the taste of 
the honey will go off, and it will resemble 
Tokay both in strength and flavour. 



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